We realised the Executive Search system was antiquated and broken and set out to build a new model, prioritising transparency & integrity ↓
Why we found traditional Exec Search didn’t work
OUR RESEARCH
❌ Fee structures are antiquated
❌ Traditional search takes too long
❌ Hiring isn’t transparent
We understand these frustrations and have ripped up the old ways of working by creating a model for hiring which is cost-effective, transparent and timely.
We believe in sustainable hiring, utilising the right talent acquisition model at the right time.
After 40+ years in the business and speaking to numerous CEOs, we’ve identified 3 core areas where we feel we need to act differently to rip up an antiquated system.
What we do differently
OUR MODEL
✅ Uncommon speed - Our level of transparency allows us to move quickly - something which sets us apart from other firms. Our average time between meeting partners and providing a candidate shortlist is 2 weeks vs the industry average of 6-8.
✅ Transparency - We use advanced project management tools to provide visibility across our hiring process, including our conversations with candidates & their terms, meaning no surprises along the way.
✅ Fees - We charge fixed fees rather than a % of salary, meaning our partners know exact costs up front. Our incentive is finding the best candidate, not the highest salary.
Our Heritage Over 40+ Years
→ We’ve worked with businesses in a huge variety of industries including Deeptech/AI, Life Sciences, FinTech, Retail, Banking and many more…
→ We’ve helped businesses recruit key hires at all levels - from Board through all business functions - many still at the organisations they joined years later.
→ Our ethos is to find candidates who align with your business and cultural values. We prioritise longevity and sustainability, ensuring they thrive in your organisation.
→ Our extensive global network gives us a vast pool of industry contacts, enabling us to quickly find the best talent for your organisation.
4 ways we support scale ups
01.
02.
Board
Curation
C-Suite Search
03.
04.
Team Hires
Interim & Fractional Support
Want to scale your organisation quickly? We know that scaling can be a complicated challenge. Knowing what is needed and putting the subsequent foundations in place is critical.
In conjunction with scale up specific CEOs and HR leaders, we have developed a proven framework covering core areas such as strategy & values, organisation & planning, hiring & onboarding and capability & performance.
Once you get in touch using the contact form on our website, we’ll send you our scale up framework questionnaire, which will help you understand what level of growth your business is at, and what support you might need to reach the next stage of growth.
What Makes us Different?
We are a search firm with a fresh perspective, transforming client engagement with transparency, fixed pricing, and fast delivery,
making executive search more accessible.
What do we do?
We partner with a diverse array of companies, from corporates to start-ups, including PE and VC firms to drive transformative growth through strategic team-building.
How?
We forge partnerships focusing on foundational excellence. Using our proprietary framework, we assess your current position and future goals, structure growth plans, and secure top talent for your organisation.
You innovate - we do the rest.
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"We were looking to develop our AI Strategy, and we wanted to bring on an individual who was commercially focussed and could take the organisation and its leaders along for the whole journey. I’d used BH before and knew that they would not only understand the challenge but also the cultural fit we required. I was not wrong, they scoured the market, spoke to most Chief AI officers in the UK, and gave us some great options, we now have our AI leader on board and he is just what we needed.”
- Chief Information Officer, Global PE Business
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“I’ve worked with Bergman Holt before, and I knew BH would approach us with creative and flexible solutions. We were a Series A backed business bringing together IoT and Web3, and Bergman Holt helped us structure ourselves our org for growth. They then sourced my core leadership team, and our entire commercial, back office and technology + product team across almost every timezone. I had no issue recommending them to my investor and his portfolio companies.”
- Chief Executive Officer, Leading IoT Provider
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“BH are a true partner for the business, bringing on Senior technology talent as well as Scientific teams for a new area of development. We also asked them to look into several key international commercial hires for us. Trusted and reliable and not afraid to challenge our thinking. Highly recommended and they are doing fantastic work in the Cambridge ecosystem.”
- Chief Executive Office, Bioinformatics Firm
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“We were at a key point in a highly public sale process, we needed to bring onboard a hugely deal driven, commercial CFO who knew our sector, not an easy ask! BH were quick to respond and had options to us within days, some stand-out candidates and real industry leaders. We were quick to engage our favourite, he was pivotal in getting things across the line. We would always work with BH when given the opportunity.”
- Chief Commercial & Strategy Officer, Media Conglomerate
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“We were looking for an innovation specialist to help us around the process of validating & developing a new business proposition and product line. Having used BH before we knew they would be able to help, they quickly understood our needs, helped us understand the possibilities, and worked at speed to get us the right person. Would recommend without question.”
- Chief Financial Officer, Leading Creative Studio
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“We have used Bergman Holt many times, whether it be hiring international Commercial teams, transformation or technical leaders, they have always been quick to understand exactly what we needed & worked at pace to ensure we had numerous candidates all within difficult timeframes... we could have taken any of these options, needless to say they are certainly our go-to search firm.”
- Chief Product Officer, News Aggregator
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“We entered into a strategic JV with another family office in a retail vertical we were excited about but didn’t have experience in; we therefore tasked BH with finding us a CEO to lead the JV and bring to life our ambitions. I’m sure they had much easier clients than us, but we never felt they were frustrated and they helpfully challenged our thinking and gave good advice. We then used BH to build the team. Why reinvent the wheel!”
- Chief Operations Officer, Family Office
Our insights…
